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Lube, Trentino go for historic all-Italian Club Worlds title

Yoandy Leal of Cucine Lube Civitanova and Kawika Shoji of Asseco Resovia Rzeszow lock hands on the net in thrilling semifinals action at the 2018 FIVB Men's Club World Championship in Czestochowa.

Czestochowa, Poland, December 1, 2018 - Italy is assured an FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship gold medal for the first time in six years, after Cucine Lube Civitanova and Diatecx Trentino beat their opponents in Saturday's semifinals of this year's edition and set up a 'domestic' clash for gold.

But the big question is: Will Trentino, the most decorated club in the history of the competition, manage a fifth world title, or will Lube claim their first ever, after failing in last year's final?

Both sides are undefeated in the tournament, after finishing pool play on three wins and dominating their respective semifinals.

They both came back from a set down in Saturday's semifinal action: Lube to defeat Asseco Resovia Rzeszow 3-1 (29-31, 25-19, 25-14, 25-23) and Trentino to knock out Fakel Novy Urengoy 3-1 (22-25, 25-14, 25-16, 25-19).

Diatecx Trentino gathered in celebration after beating Fakel Novy Urengoy to advance to Sunday's final at the 2018 FIVB Men's Club World Championship.

Saturday highlights in Czestochowa:• Lube extended their Club World Championship winning streak to four after beating Resovia; their last defeat in the competition was in last year's final to Zenit Kazan.• Trentino last lost in the competition, also to Zenit Kazan, in the semifinals of 2016 (though they didn't play last season). Their streak is now 5-0, having won 11 of their last 10 matches in the competition.• Tsvetan Sokolov was top scorer in Saturday's action at Czestochowa with 20 points for Lube against Resovia.• The 28-year-old Bulgarian is now third in the top scorers list of the tournament with 61 points after four matches. Artur Udrys of Fakel leads the pack with 67, followed by his teammate Dmitry Volkov.• Kevin Le Roux of Sada Cruzeiro is top of the best blockers list with .75 per set. Of the players still in contention Robertlandy Simon of Lube comes first with .69.• Damian Schulz and Thibault Rossard, both of Resovia, share top place amongst the best servers on .60 per set (with nine each in absolute numbers).

Cucine Lube Civitanova gathered in celebration after beating Asseco Resovia Rzeszow to advance to Sunday's final at the 2018 FIVB Men's Club World Championship.

History is ready to be written in the bronze medal match, too.

Though the world title can no longer remain in Russia, after both defending champions Zenit Kazan and now Fakel Novy Urengoy are out of contention (making this year's final the first since 2012 without Russian representation), the Siberian side still have a goal to reach: They aim to become the fifth Russian club to climb the podium, after CSKA Moscow (as USSR) with silver in 1989, Lokomotiv Novosibirsk with silver in 2013, Belgorie Belgorod with gold in 2014, and Zenit Kazan with two bronze in 2009 and 2011, two silver in 2015 and 2016 and one gold in 2017.

And Resovia, too, have their own quest: They can become the third Polish team in the history of the competition to win a medal (and the first in seven years) after PGE Skra Belchatow's two silvers in 2009 and 2010 plus bronze in 2012, and Jastrzebski Wegiel's silver in 2011.